A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to rethink his approach to forming a political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, recommending instead that he emulate President Bola Tinubu’s coalition-building strategy without abandoning the PDP.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Tuesday, Sowunmi—who served as Atiku’s campaign spokesperson in the 2023 election—expressed disapproval of Atiku’s current plan to form a new political movement or merge with another party. He insisted that the former Vice President should focus on strengthening and uniting opposition forces under the PDP umbrella, rather than floating or fusing into a new platform.
“I’ve always said to people, people love with their hearts. I love Atiku with my bones. But I can’t help him against himself,” Sowunmi stated.
“You can’t run for vice presidency twice on the PDP platform, get the party’s presidential ticket twice, and now feel the best move is to start shopping for another platform. If you want a coalition, why not coalesce them into your party?”
Last month, opposition leaders set up a committee—including former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke—to explore the possibility of launching a new party or merging with an existing one. This comes as the PDP continues to grapple with longstanding internal leadership crises.
However, Sowunmi insisted that Atiku should learn from Tinubu, who built the All Progressives Congress (APC) by drawing various political factions into a single, stable party, without leaving his original political base.
“Look at your rival, your friend,” he said, referring to Tinubu. “You guys started together. Even if you say he’s building a coalition, is he not bringing everybody into his own party?”
Sowunmi, a former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, recently visited President Tinubu and praised his leadership style, describing him as a unifying political figure who possesses a unique ability to make people feel seen and heard—regardless of political affiliation.
“That guy (Tinubu) is something else. He has this uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special. Whether you’re a former foe or a friend, you’ll leave feeling like you matter, like he gets it. And when he gives his word, he says something like ‘ko le ye’—meaning, to the best of human ability, it will stand.”
Amid speculation about his loyalty following the visit to Tinubu, Sowunmi defended his political stance, asserting that he remains committed to the PDP, a party he has belonged to since 1999.
“I don’t know whether Atiku is upset or not, but I know a lot of our followers are talking nonsense,” he said. “I’ve been in PDP since 1999, never leaving.”
As political realignments begin to take shape ahead of 2027, Sowunmi’s comments reflect growing internal debate within the PDP about the best path forward in challenging the ruling APC and President Tinubu.
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